The inaugural flight of Europe's Ariane 6 rocket was launched on July 9, 2024, from the Guiana Space Centre, marking a significant milestone in the development of the new rocket. While the launch was deemed successful, an anomaly occurred during the final stages of the mission, resulting in the failure to deploy two payloads.
Credit: ESA - M. Pédoussaut
The Ariane 6 rocket successfully completed three payload separation events over a period of nine seconds, but a fourth and final payload separation event failed to occur due to an issue with the second Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) power-up. The APU is used to pressurize the rocket's upper stage tanks and provide a small amount of thrust, ensuring consistent fuel delivery and maneuverability during the mission.
According to ArianeGroup CEO Martin Sion, the APU initially powered up but then stopped, preventing the rocket from restarting its Vinci engine for a second time to complete a deorbit burn. Despite this, the stage's passivation was triggered successfully, removing stored energy from the vehicle to reduce the risk of high-energy releases.
Sion downplayed the impact of the anomaly, stating that it occurred during a "demonstration phase" of the mission and that the failure to deorbit the upper stage was not significant. However, the European Space Agency's (ESA) official mission kit and launch timeline did not distinguish between different phases of the mission, raising questions about the clarity of the mission objectives.
Despite the anomaly, the Ariane 6 rocket successfully demonstrated its ability to complete a standard mission profile, and the next launch is expected to carry a French spy satellite to orbit before the end of 2024. According to Arianespace CEO Stephane Israel, the investigation into the APU issue will have no impact on the rocket's first operational launch.
The incident highlights the complexity and challenges of space missions, even with extensive testing and preparation. As the space industry continues to push the boundaries of technology and exploration, incidents like this serve as a reminder of the importance of rigorous testing and contingency planning.
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